


My jolly sailor bold

by ShandrisCZ



Category: Youtube RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M, Not too much, Unspecified Timeline, and no-one actually drowns, but it ends happily, description of drowning, mermaid Jack, mermaid au, sailor Mark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 06:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7923889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShandrisCZ/pseuds/ShandrisCZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a far away village there was a legend. It was said that if you went to the beach on the other side of the island and you sang, sometime a mermaid would sing back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My jolly sailor bold

  In a far away village there was a legend. It was said that if you went to the beach on the other side of the island and you sang, sometime a mermaid would sing back.

\---

  Jack was sitting on the seafloor, braiding seaweeds into his sister's hair when he heard it. A muffled sound coming from a nearby beach. Of course he knew what it was. Word travelled fast between mermaids and everybody knew about the sailor who sang sweeter than any of them by now. The melancholic melodies could be heard every day for more than two months now and all of his sisters sang back, trying to lure the sailor to them, wishing the human to become one of them.

  "Jack?" his sister asked him and he looked at her, only now realising he was so focused so much on the song he stopped braiding her hair. Smiling apologetically he proceeded adding seaweed into her blue hair, trying to forget the longing in his heart.

  "You could try singing back," his sister said and he just shook his head.

  "You know it wouldn't work," he said bitterly, ignoring her eyes that were filled with pity. A mermaid who couldn't sing, imagine _that_. And since he couldn't sing, he couldn't lure the sailor into the sea, so he wasn't allowed to get near him. It was _so_ unfair. He was curious. Every time the sailor sang he wished to swim up to him, listen to him for all eternity. There just was something about the other's voice... He finished braiding and smiled at his sister who smiled brightly, admiring his handiwork.

  "You know, you could swim to him, so you heard him better," his sister suddenly said and he perked up.

  "You wouldn't tell anyone?" he asked and she smiled even more.

  "Of course not. But be careful he doesn't see you," as she said it he pecked her cheek and bolted away. Jack knew not to let himself be seen. The best case scenario - the sailor would throw rocks at him. The worst...he would try to capture him. As he swam past several schools of fish, the singing was becoming clearer and louder. He peeked out of the water, seeing the sailor sitting on a rock, facing the sea. If Jack swam up to him from the right, he wouldn't see him. So he dived back under the water, flipping his tail two three times and he was there. Slowly he emerged his head out of the water, his breath hitching. The singing was bewitching on it's own when it wasn't muffled by the water, it's lyrics slightly sad but still beautiful. But what took Jack by surprise was the sailor himself. He could see only the sailor's profile but he was gorgeous. His raven hair were falling into his dark brown eyes that were fixed at the ocean, his jaw covered with stuble, his skin tanned from every day spent on the sun. Jack was sure he wasn't spotted since the sailor still looked at the horizon and he dared to move closer. Which was a mistake. The sailor, probably seeing movement with the corner of his eye, stopped singing, turning his head towards Jack, looking straight at him. Jack's eyes went huge as he was filled with panic and he was ready to dive back under the water and swim to the reef when the human spoke.

  "Are you a mermaid?"

  Despite knowing he should get away, Jack nodded. The human smiled brightly and Jack without even noticing swam a little closer.

  "I knew you were real! I was hoping one of you would sing back, I didn't think you would actually show up."

  Jack frowned in confusion.

  "My sisters were singing back to you."

  The human shrugged.

  "I haven't heard them. Do you have a name?"

  Jack was stunned into silence for a moment. He hadn't heard them? Well, that explained why none of his sisters succeeded in luring him in. But mermaid's singing could be heard for miles. Was this human immune somehow? He finally realised he'd been staring for a while now without ever giving a reply to the human.

  "Jack."

  "I'm Mark," the human - Mark - smiled and that was a beginning of an unlikely friendship.

\---

  Jack was sneaking away every day, spending time with Mark on the beach they first met. They talked about anything and everything, laughed and mark sang one or two songs about sea. The sun was just setting when Jack begged him to sing another one.

  "Please, Mark," he basically whined and Mark chuckled warmly, making Jack's heart flutter.

  "That's a bit unfair, don't you think? I sang to you a thousand times, yet I haven't heard you sing once," he teased and Jack sank until only his eyes and green hair could be seen. He did this whenever he was flustered and since Mark knew it he started laughing loudly.

  "You wouldn't hear me anyway," Jack said once Mark calmed down and he was sure he wasn't blushing anymore.

  "Maybe I would. You don't know if you don't try."

  Jack thought about it for a moment but in the end...

  "I can't sing," he said, his eyes cast down into the water.

  "Oh. Which one do you want me to sing, then?"

  Jack smiled a little and asked for his favourite.

\---

  Jack was at the beach, playing with the fish, waiting for Mark to show up. They'd been spending each day together for the past two months and it was the happiest Jack ever felt. He heard Mark call him and with a smile he swam to the rock before emerging from the water. But as soon as he saw the sadness in Mark's eyes his own smile fell.

  "Mark?" he asked, moving closer until he could hold onto the rock next to where Mark was sitting. There was a moment of silence before Mark spoke.

  "There's a war and our ship is needed there. I came to say goodbye."

  A sudden lump was in Jack's throat and he wasn't able to say anything for a while.

  "Wait here," he murmured, diving, quickly swimming to the bottom of the sea. He looked around and found what he was looking for. He picked the oyster up, swiping along the opening gently. It opened slightly under his touch and he slipped a finger inside, smiling at the round object that fell out. He caught it, placing the oyster back to it's place, inspecting the pearl in his hand. It was one of the rare black ones and althgough it wasn't exactly big it was perfectly round. He swam back to the surface, handing it to Mark who took it, looking at it confusedly.

  "So you remember me," Jack explained, hiding his blush under the water. Mark smiled, closing his fingers around the pearl, looking then at Jack.

  "I will come back to you. I promise," and with those final words he stood, walking in the direction from where he came, Jack's eyes following him until he couldn't see him anymore.

\---

  It had been three years since Mark made him that promise and Jack lost all hope. Every morning he swam to the beach, waiting for Mark to show up, returning to the reef only after the sun set, his sisters shooting him looks full of pity. His tail, previously a vibrant green, had turned grey, his skin getting even paler than it was before. He hardly slept or ate and spoke even less. One day he decided. He swam to the beach early in the morning, heading straight to the rock. He looked at it for a while, remembering how Mark sat on it and sang, laughing when Jack splashed him. But he wouldn't see that ever again. Mark either forgot about him or he died in the war and Jack didn't know which option pained him more. He pulled himself up, sitting on the rock so not a single part of his tail touched the water below him. Almost immediately he felt the sun burn but he simply watched the ocean as the waves played with each other. Soon, without even noticing, he started to hum and as the day progressed the humming evolved into singing.

  _My heart is pierced by Cupid_  
_I disdain all glittering gold_  
_There is nothing can console me_  
_But my jolly sailor bold_

  He didn't care it sounded hoarse and slightly out of tune cause when he closed his eyes he could hear Mark sing. The sun was shining brightly, drying him but despite his throat aching he kept on singing. His vision was starting to blur, his lips feeling dry and he laid back onto the rock, his muscles too tired to hold him upright. At one point his eyes slid shut and the song on his lips was getting weaker and weaker until it stopped altogether and he lost consciousness.

\---

  Jack heard the sound of the ocean around him and he realised two warm hands were holding him. He regained more and more energy the longer the water around him cooled his dried body and he cursed whichever sister decided to save him. He was too weak to open his eyes, but he could hear a voice talking frantically along with the sound of waves. He focused on it, the sounds turning into words in his mind.

  "-please! Please Jack, wake up. I'm sorry I'm this late, just wake up!"

  He _knew_ that voice. He frowned, forcing his eyes open. His vision was still a bit blurry but it cleared quickly.

  "Mark?" he croaked out, his throat sore form the singing and sun but Mark smiled at him and the pain was melting away.

  "Yeah, it's me."

  "You came back," Jack smiled and reached up to wipe away the tears that were running down Mark's face, making it even more wet in the process.

  "I promised, didn't I? I wasn't sure if you would still wait for me but then I heard you sing."

  Jack blinked at him a few times.

  "You heard me sing?"

  Mark smiled and nodded. Jack suddenly realised that Mark was standing deep in the water, still in his clothes, holding him close to his chest and he wished he could hide his blush. Then something caught his attention. It was a string around Mark's neck, a black pearl glistening on it. Jack looked back to Mark's eyes, smiling a bit.

  "I missed you," he heard himself say and Mark smiled even more, his hold on Jack tightening a bit.

  "Did you miss _me_ or my _singing_?" he teased and Jack smiled.

  "Both."

  Mark chuckled and started singing quietely, Jack's favourite and he simply watched the other man's features. One song ended and another began as the sun slowly started to set down. The peaceful moment was disturbed by one of Jack's sisters swimming closer to them. She had been watching them for some time now and she heard Mark. He could hear Jack's singing and was lured by it into the water. It was for Jack to make him one of them. As Mark kept singing Jack noticed her and quickly got out of the other's arms, moving in front of him, trying to shield him. She simply smiled.

  "You know what you have to do Jack," she said, not moving closer to them. Jack watched her warily for a while, a battle going on in his head.

  "Jack? What is she talking about?" Mark asked and Jack turned to look at him, hovering in the water before him.

  "I love you," he said, needing to finally say the words that were on his mind for so long.

  "I love you too," Mark assured him and Jack moved closer until they were pressed chest to chest, wrapping his arms around the other's neck.

  "I could make you one of us."

  Mark immediately nodded but still Jack felt the urge to warn him.

  "It will hurt."

  "If it means I can be with you, I don't care."

  Jack smiled and started pulling Mark out of the shallow water until he was sure the other couldn't reach.

  "Do you trust me?" he asked and Mark simply nodded, holding onto his waist. Jack smiled a bit, pulling Mark with him under the water.

\---

  "Do you trust me?" Jack asked and Mark nodded. Jack smiled and pulled him under the water. They were sinking deeper until they reached the bottom. Mark opened his eyes and though his vision was blurry he could still see Jack's bright green hair. Jack was still holding him and then he began singing. Mark couldn't understand why Jack thought he couldn't sing. It was beautiful. He realised he was starting to need oxygen but Jack was singing, his voice coaxing him until he felt like everything would be alright. Yet the urge to breathe was stronger and he took a lungful of sea water, coughing, inhaling more water. His vision was slowly starting to darken around the edges and his limbs felt numb. But just before his mind went black there were soft lips pressed against his. A sharp pain shot through him and he screamed, realising he could breathe. He opened his eyes and he could see as well as he did on land, so he looked at Jack who was smiling at him. He looked down where his legs used to be, just to find a strong long tail - it's scales a bright shade of red. He looked back up at Jack, few strands of his hair floating into his view. They, too, were red and he looked at them, crossing his eyes as he did so. Jack giggled, brushing them away from his eyes. Mark looked at the other, blue eyes looking at him adoringly.

  "This colour suits you," Jack said and Mark smiled, surging forwards, kissing him, tasting the salt on the other's lips.

\---

In a far away village there was a legend. It was said that if you went to the beach on the other side of the island and you stayed quiet, you could hear two voices singing.

**Author's Note:**

> I love mermaids so much that I seriously wonder why haven't I written this earlier. Oh welp! Hope you enjoy. And if you know some mermaid songs, link me!
> 
>  
> 
> Kudos to you if you recognised the song!
> 
>    
> Edit: after finally being sober I read it again and corrected all typos I spotted. If you see anything else, it's me just being stupid and not knowing the english language so you can beat me with a dictionary.


End file.
